Answer: In a fly-by-wire aircraft, the pilot inputs commands via a sidestick or yoke to a computer. The computer then directs the hydraulic or electric actuator to deflect a flight control surface.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala., Aug. 25, 2011) -- In use in other Defense Department aircraft for years, fly-by-wire now replaces the conventional manual flight controls in some Black Hawk helicopters with an ...

Because of their many redundancies, electronic fly-by-wire controls are actually far safer than traditional hydraulic ones. Any pilot who has ever done a pre-flight check on a Cessna or a Bonanza ...